CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF TEA MARKETING IN THE CASE OF EAST AFRICAN AGRI-BUSINESS PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY

Abstract

Many companies failing to address their opportunities by developing their marketing strategy will lose out to competitors. Competition in tea marketing becomes increased as consumers need prior to product quality and the change in global market strategy. For this reason, the challenges concerning the marketing mix elements (product, price, promotion and place) adopted by the company, its opportunity and the management decisions are discussed in this study. Data was gathered through survey questionnaire from company employees and wholesalers. An interview also deployed to gather data with the founder of eight company employees using an interview guide and using records at Dukem tea factory and the company head office. Descriptive approach is deployed to analyze the data. The results revealed that low product quality, weak in brand awareness, low demand for the product, high competitions emerged from abroad and domestic market, low product diversification, high prices charged to low product quality, confusing advertisements and mismanagement decisions are identified as challenges to tea marketing of the company. The opportunities such as a company’s own farm, low production costs, employee commitments, modern tea factory, government support, access to labor force, and high demand of tea importing countries are identified as existed opportunities to the company. Based on the findings obtained thorough this study, solutions have been recommended to improve the situations by indentifying marketing strategy with focus on customers need and having marketing information intelligence.